October 01, 2007 |

I guess this is suppose to be my time to believe that the sky is falling. Or, maybe this is the time that I convince you that the sky is not falling. No, better yet, maybe I look at what other “Play-Off” teams, like San Diego and Chicago, are doing and feel better about my team being 2-2. I got it, I should look at the Orioles and be thankful that a 2-2 record for my football team is unacceptable, but respectable for my baseball team.

I’m not going in either of those directions. I’m going to take this time to talk about the Ravens’ defense. I know, in this town, that’s sacred. The defense has a reputation of being phenomenal and because of that reputation, we aren’t suppose to talk negatively about them.

However, it is my job to call it as I see it and what I see worries me. I see a defense that’s given up an average of over 22 points per game this year. This is also a team that’s given up over 20 points in three of the four games this year. The same defense that hasn’t been on the field for more than 26 minutes each of the past two weeks, and has yet to be on the field for more than 30 in a game all year. This is a defense that’s given up five plays of 30 or more yards so far this year. They’d given up two after four games last year.

As for a pass rush, it’s non-existant. The Ravens have six sacks this season, four of which have come by defensive backs. That tells me that the team is blitzing an awful lot, but not getting any pass rush from the front seven. So, looks like not having Trevor Pryce is hurting us.

I don’t know if any of this is fixable, but it’s pretty obvious. This team is not the dominant defensive presence anymore, and I don’t think anyone is afraid of them. That means you have to make things happen for yourself. When teams are afraid of you, they turn the ball over for you out of fear.